Isaiah 3:4
"And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

And I will give children to be their princes,.... Either in age, or in understanding, who are really so, or act like such; and in either sense, when this is the case, it is

an unhappiness to a nation, Ecc 10:16 , and babes shall rule over them; which is the same as before. The Targum is, "the weak shall rule over them;'' such who are weak in their intellectuals, or are of mean pusillanimous spirits, "effeminate", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; and so as "children" are opposed to the "ancient", that should be taken away, these are opposed to "men of might" and courage, who would now be wanting: or "men of illusions", as in the margin; such as were subtle as foxes, and should deceive them, and impose upon them, and were audacious and impudent, and would mock at them, and despise them. So Jarchi and Abarbinel; and according to this sense of the word the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "mockers shall rule over them".

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (5 words)

H5414 נָתַן
Definition:

19 + often; Old Hebrewנתןיֿהוproper name, masculine Lzb327; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Phoenicianיתן,נתןin proper nameמתנת, etc., Lzb292; Lzb327; AssyriannadânuDlHWB 450(rarelyittanIdib.488); Zinj 19 + often; Old Hebrewנתןיֿהוproper name, masculine Lzb327; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Phoenicianיתן,נתןin proper nameמתנת, etc., Lzb292; Lzb327; AssyriannadânuDlHWB 450(rarelyittanIdib.488); Zinj

Possible Meanings:
  • give (semantic_range)
H5288 נַעַר
Definition:

16, but text corrupt, see We Now.Topical LexiconGeneral Sense and Range of Meaningנַעַר designates a male from infancy through early adulthood, emphasizing vitality, teachability, and subordinate stat 16, but text corrupt, see We Now.Topical LexiconGeneral Sense and Range of Meaningנַעַר designates a male from infancy through early adulthood, emphasizing vitality, teachability, and subordinate stat

Possible Meanings:
  • youth (semantic_range)
  • early life (semantic_range)
H8269 שַׂר
Definition:

38+,הַשַּׂרMicah 7:3+,שָׂ֑רHosea 3:4+; constructשַׂרJudges 4:2+; suffixשַׂרְכֶםDaniel 10:21; pluralשָׂרִים1 Kings 4:2+; constructשָׂרֵיGenesis 12:15+; suffixשָׂרַיJudges 5:15;Isaiah 10:8,שָׂרֵיכֶםJere 38+,הַשַּׂרMicah 7:3+,שָׂ֑רHosea 3:4+; constructשַׂרJudges 4:2+; suffixשַׂרְכֶםDaniel 10:21; pluralשָׂרִים1 Kings 4:2+; constructשָׂרֵיGenesis 12:15+; suffixשָׂרַיJudges 5:15;Isaiah 10:8,שָׂרֵיכֶםJere

Possible Meanings:
  • navel-string (semantic_range)
H8586 תַּעֲלוּל
Definition:

4caprice shall rule over them; suffixתַּעֲלֻלֵיהֶםIsaiah 66:4their wanton dealing, i.e. that inflicted on them.II.עלל(√ of following; possibly = I.עלל(Köii. 1, 106) whence child ascapricious, mischiev 4caprice shall rule over them; suffixתַּעֲלֻלֵיהֶםIsaiah 66:4their wanton dealing, i.e. that inflicted on them.II.עלל(√ of following; possibly = I.עלל(Köii. 1, 106) whence child ascapricious, mischiev

H4910 מָשַׁל
Definition:

132t.,מָשָׁ֑לDaniel 11:4,וּמָשָׁ֑לconsecutiveDaniel 11:5; 3feminine singularמָשָׁ֑לָהPsalm 103:19; 2masculine singularמָשַׁלְתָּIsaiah 63:19,וּמָשַׁלְתָּ֫Deuteronomy 15:16; 3pluralמָֽשְׁלוּIsaiah 3:5; 132t.,מָשָׁ֑לDaniel 11:4,וּמָשָׁ֑לconsecutiveDaniel 11:5; 3feminine singularמָשָׁ֑לָהPsalm 103:19; 2masculine singularמָשַׁלְתָּIsaiah 63:19,וּמָשַׁלְתָּ֫Deuteronomy 15:16; 3pluralמָֽשְׁלוּIsaiah 3:5;

Possible Meanings:
  • dominion (semantic_range)

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